"Well, then I'll have to make it my purpose in life to make sure you know just how loved you are."
This was the Declan she'd fallen in love with, the Declan whose feelings so often seemed hidden, but at those times when they bubbled up to the surface, made him devastatingly charming.
"I like the sound of that."
Taking her by the hand, he led her back along the path toward the house. "Good. You'll like what I have in mind."
***
The sweet taste of Solenne's skin on his tongue made Saint's cock surge against his belly. It took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to sink his teeth into the swell of her full breast and lose himself in her blood. But he wanted this time to be different.
He wanted to show her how much he adored her.
Cupping her breast, he gently sucked the pink tip to an excited peak, careful to let his fangs only graze the tender skin. Solenne whimpered her desire as she arched her back, urging him to give her more.
God, he loved feeling her under him, her body open for him! No woman had made him feel what she did just by being her. The simple touch of her hand on his head, the needy sound that laced her words when he touched her created more happiness in him than a century worth of women.
Tilting his chin up toward her, she said, "Declan, I want to feel you inside me. I want to forget every night between all those years ago and now. Help me forget."
Blue eyes clouded from need and desire silently begged him to hurry, and he slid up her body to cradle her in his arms. "I loved you in spite of myself. It was the only thing I could do. Don't think about all those nights. Think about every night from this moment on in my arms."
Saint kissed her deeply and slid into her waiting body, loving the sensation of her soft walls stretching to take all he offered. With her arms and legs wrapped around him, she clung to him as he thrust into her, burying himself deep inside her.
Her body fit his as if it had been made just for him, like a piece to complete a puzzle long ago left unfinished. She excited every nerve ending in his body with no more than a word or a smile.
How many nights had he closed his eyes and imagined her beneath him as he sought that moment of happiness with a woman—that fleeting moment when he knew he pleased another?
But it was more than that with Solenne. More than physical pleasure. More than knowing his body thrilled hers as much as hers did his. No, when he looked into those ocean blue eyes so full of emotion, he saw a part of himself she'd taken even without him realizing until it was too late.
Every night he'd searched for that missing part, hoping to find it in some small measure in pleasing a woman and accepting that was all he could ever be. Now, whole in her arms again, he understood what real happiness was.
"Declan..."
Solenne smiled up at him sweetly and he slowed his pace. Turning her head, she exposed her neck and whispered, "I want nothing between us. Take from me to show me you trust me to take care of you as you take care of me."
He knew what she meant and hated it. Hated the idea of what she'd done. And loved her all the more for her strength.
Gently, she pulled his head toward the place that would provide him with her very essence. The feel of her soft skin against his lips reminded him how much she must have suffered at the Archon's hands, and he paused to worship with a kiss that precious gift she offered unconditionally.
Her skin smelled like flowers on a summer morning, as if she'd somehow conquered the curse of their kind and laid down among honeysuckle on a sunny July day. Saint inhaled deeply, savoring the fragrance that reminded him of his life in the Irish countryside.
He pressed his fangs against her skin, feeling her tender skin begin to surrender to their razor sharp points. Slowly, he entered her, stopping for the briefest moment as he waited for her body to deliver her sweet blood. It hit his tongue and a wave of excitement raced through his body, making his limbs heavy and his cock surge inside her.
Her blood flowed down his throat, making his body come alive like only blood from her could. Each pull on her vein brought him closer to release, and he fought to control urges that threatened to overtake him.
Closing the holes, he lifted his mouth from her neck and groaned, "Solenne, ride me and take what you need."
Saint slid out of her and rolled onto his back, happy to wrestle some control from his animal urges that threatened to make him no better than the fucking Archon. Thankfully, Solenne sensed none of his thoughts and climbed on top of him to straddle his hips.
Perched atop him like a conqueror, she leaned down and threaded her fingers through his. With his hands pressed above him, he waited, willing to relinquish the power to her.
Her soft hair dangled in his face, tickling his lips, as she rolled her hips to create friction against his cock. Over and over, she slide her wet folds up and down his shaft, almost taking him inside her but each time deliberately allowing only the head of his cock to enter before she rolled back to begin her teasing again.
Let other males have those sweet, submissive types. He preferred a woman who was his equal any night.
Solenne licked her lips and as her gaze roamed over his body, a devilish grin slowly spread across her face. "All these muscles and here I sit with all the power. You might put all those hours in the gym to better use."
"Have anything in mind?"
Dropping her head, she whispered seductively next to his ear, "A few things."
Her fangs playfully nipped his earlobe as she slid her lips to his neck. Warm breath puffed against his skin, and he waited for her to pierce his vein to take from him.
He wanted to move his hands, to hold her hips as he slid her down his cock, but he liked giving her this. For too long, everything about him had been about control. Control of his emotions. Control of his body. Control to deal with living alone, separate from their world. Giving her the control freed him.
A tiny kiss touched his skin and then she sunk her fangs into his neck. His back arched and his hips lifted off the bed, sending his cock along her moist slit before he buried himself completely inside her. As her mouth sweetly sucked what she needed from him, her body fucked his, rhythmically squeezing and releasing his cock until he couldn't hold off the end anymore.
Solenne's moans against his skin told him she was almost there. Instinct took over, and he broke free from her hold to keep her firmly in place on top of him as she began to come. Her body closed in around him and then his body flooded hers.
He'd never experienced the feeling of pure ecstasy from making love to one of his vampires as he sired her, but he couldn't believe that could be any better than the way he felt when he made love to Solenne.
She tenderly slid her tongue over his skin to close where she'd drunk and lifted her head to kiss him. Her lips, stained a deep red, kissed his lightly. "Declan, go away with me. Anywhere. I'll go anywhere. Please, can we leave here?"
Tucking the hair behind her ears, he saw she was serious. "There's nothing in this world I'd rather do than leave everything and go away with you. Nothing. But we can't. Not now. Not with what the Archons have started. But I promise when this is done, we'll go somewhere and begin our life together."
Solenne said nothing but kissed him and then rolled off him to rest her head on his chest. For a long time, they lay there silently as Saint stroked her back and wondered where they would live after all the bullshit with the Archons was over. Money wasn't an issue. He'd amassed a small fortune over the years. Maybe the States. Maybe Spain. He'd been there once and liked it.
"Declan, no matter what happens, you're the love of my life."
Kissing the top of her head, he smiled and said, "I should hope so. You don't proposition just any man to go away with you to start a new life, do you?"
Solenne lifted her head and stared into his eyes. "No matter what happens, remember what I said."
Cradling her face, he placed a kiss on her lips. "I'm not letting those sterile fucks dust me. I don't care who they se
nd. They can send all my vampires who hate me. I'm going to be on Earth for a long time and you're going to be with me. All those hours in the gym weren't for nothing."
Chapter Seventeen
Saint felt the approach of the dawn settle into his body, but the last thing he wanted to do was rest. Making love all day sounded like a better idea. As he considered whether to join Solenne in the shower or wait for her to return to their bed, the doorbell chimed and he reluctantly slipped on pants and made his way to the front door.
Opening the door, he saw Vasilije, Terek, and Dante staring in surprise at him. He was definitely not in the mood for this.
"Don't you have women to keep you busy? It's almost dawn."
"Odd question coming from you," Dante said in his usual smart-ass tone.
Saint's fangs snapped into his mouth, and he growled his displeasure.
Vasilije stepped forward, his face far more serious than the young vampire's. "We need to see Solenne."
Shaking his head, Saint stood toe-to-toe with the Romanian. No way was he letting this group in to ply her for information. "No. I'll have her call you tonight."
"This can't wait, Saint. We need to see her now," Terek said from behind Vasilije.
Great. Now they had the mystical guy he actually didn't mind making their case.
"What's so fucking important that you feel the need to ruin the last few hours of night to see my..." Hesitating, Saint quickly decided none of them needed to know what she was to him.
From behind him, he heard Solenne ask, "Declan, who are you talking to?"
His gaze traveled from one man to the next. "Vampires who've forgotten what time it is."
Solenne slid her arms around his waist and peaked around his shoulder. "Hi guys. Hi Dante! It's nice to see you again."
"They were just leaving."
"We need to speak to you, Solenne. Back at the monastery would be better."
Before she could answer, too nicely he was sure, Saint moved to close the door and put an end to this. "Vasilije, she's not going anywhere with you."
"Declan, let them in. They're trying to protect you like I am."
"Then let them do it tonight."
"This can't wait. Don't make this difficult," Vasilije said way too close to his face.
"I'm not my brother, Vasilije. I'm not one of your vampires, so if I choose to be difficult, you'll have to fucking deal with it. I won't say it again. Come back later."
Solenne pressed her cheek to his back and hugged him. "Declan, we have the rest of our lives to be together. This sounds important."
Looking over his shoulder, he saw her looking up at him with those blue eyes that never failed to touch him. Damn, he couldn't say no when she looked at him like that.
Turning back to the three men about to intrude on them, he let his smile fade to a scowl. "Fine, but make it quick."
As they filed past him, he turned to Solenne to sneak a kiss. "Don't let him convince you to keep working as a spy at Verrater's. He can find someone else."
Solenne ran her hands over his chest, letting them settle just above the waist of his pants at his hipbones. "When they leave, I have this thing I want to try that Sasa told me about. You game?"
The way she raised her eyebrows made him think he was definitely game. "Vasilije better hurry," he whispered near her lips.
Saint followed Solenne into the sitting room and stood behind her when she sat. "Let's get this over with. And if this is about her doing any more spying or anything to do with Teagan, the answer is no."
The three men sat down facing Solenne, and Vasilije spoke first. Immediately, Saint disliked his tone.
"We have some questions about what you've done with the Archon, Solenne."
"What the fuck do you mean you have some questions about what she's done?"
Vasilije looked up toward him. "Maybe you shouldn't be here for this, Saint."
"Who the fuck do you think you're talking to? I told you I wasn't interested in following you. I'm a Son because of the Order, not you. And you're in her house as a fucking guest who's quickly wearing out his welcome."
Terek hastily moved to diffuse the mounting tension. "Saint, I think what Vasilije meant was that perhaps Solenne would prefer if you weren't to hear what she's done in aiding you."
"I know what Solenne's been forced to do, Terek. That's why she's not going back there. Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of me."
Saint placed his hand on her shoulder to ensure they understood his point. Solenne was the woman he loved, and if they had something to say to her, they would say it with him present.
"It's your choice, Saint," Vasilije said somberly. "Solenne, I need to know what your relationship is to the Archon."
Saint set his jaw and worked to not take Vasilije apart piece by piece. Relationship? What the hell was he talking about?
Solenne didn't seem to understand what he meant either. "We don't have a relationship other than my spying on him for the Sons. Why are you asking me this?"
The three men sat silently, and Saint repeated her question. "Why ask her this? Someone offers us help and goes through what she's had to at his hands to protect me, and you come here with your version of the Inquisition?"
"We've heard some things and we just want to straighten them out. Saint's safety is our only concern, Solenne."
"Vasilije, I would never do anything to harm Declan. Never. Ask whatever you want."
Saint waited to hear what these things they'd heard were. Did Teagan have something to do with all this?
"Solenne, has the Archon ever had your blood?" Vasilije asked.
Saint threw up his hands, fed up with entire situation. "That's it. We're done here."
As he moved to show the Romanian how unwelcome he was, Solenne grabbed his arm to stop him. "Don't, Declan. I want to answer the question."
Saint shook his head. "No. You don't have to do this."
"I want to. I've done what I thought was right to keep you safe. And I'd do it again, so if they need to hear it, so be it."
He watched her square her shoulders and sit as straight as can be in her chair. More than anything else, at that moment he admired her strength. Turning back toward his fellow Sons, he felt a surge of pride for the woman next to him. "You're fucking lucky she's who she is and that I respect her choices."
"To answer your question, yes, he's had my blood. I needed him to trust me and when he demanded I allow him to have it, I didn't feel like I had a choice. Verrater is cruel, like all Archons, but he seems to love inflicting pain when he takes my blood."
Solenne turned her face away from them and pulled her hair back from her neck to show a painful looking bruise. "This is the result of the last time he took from me."
Saint looked down at the deep purple mark and felt his blood run cold. The thought of that motherfucker hurting her and enjoying it made him seethe. When he got his hands on him, he'd know pain.
Vasilije and Dante stared at the evidence of Verrater's cruelty, saying nothing, but Terek seemed particularly affected by what Solenne had endured. "I'm sorry you've suffered to help our cause. We are in your debt."
Terek's green eyes reflected his genuine concern, and Saint appreciated at least one of them seemed to understand what she'd given up for them.
"Solenne, we don't want to upset you, but these next questions must be asked," Vasilije continued.
"I have nothing to hide. Ask whatever you must."
Vasilije took a deep breath and asked, "Have you slept with him?"
Saint balled his lowered hand into a tight fist as the words left Vasilije's mouth. He had no way of knowing if she had, but he'd suspected it. The idea made him sick, especially because if she had slept with him, it had been to protect him and had likely been tantamount to rape.
"That's enough. Solenne is the victim here, not the bad guy. She deserves better than this bullshit."
Solenne covered his hand with hers and turned to face him. Her eyes were wide with fe
ar, telegraphing her answer without her having to say a word. It didn't matter. He'd have to live with his jealousy. This was the woman he'd loved for nearly a hundred years. If she'd done anything with the Archon, she'd done it to protect him.
"I'm sorry, Declan. I wanted to tell you, but it never seemed like the right time. Please understand."
As she spoke, she squeezed his hand and he felt her begin to tremble. "I don't blame you. I meant what I said. You're the victim. And I'm the last soul with any right to pass judgment here. You've done what you did to protect me. I'm the one who's sorry."
Saint smiled down at her beautiful face and hoped she knew how much he loved her. Whatever she'd done, he'd have to deal with it.
And when he found that fucking Archon, pain would be the least of his problems.
Solenne forced a tiny smile that told him she understood and turned back to face the three others. "Not that it's any of your goddamned business, but yes, I slept with him for the same reason I let him have my blood—to help protect the man I love, the man I've loved for a century. You told me you needed me to spy on Verrater. Well, you served me up like a sacrificial lamb. He's a sadist who treated me like his sex slave. What was I supposed to do? Refuse him? Then I'd never have a chance to find out anything about what their plans are for Declan or any of you."
"I'm sorry, Solenne. I knew nothing of Verrater when I told you to spy on him. And I never expected you to sacrifice yourself to help us," Vasilije said quietly.
"I didn't do it for you. I did it for Declan."
Saint had heard enough. "She answered your questions. It's time for you to go."
"I only have one more, Saint. Solenne, did you ever take any of Verrater's blood."
Finally, Saint saw where their questions were leading. They thought Solenne had betrayed them and was playing him.
"Vasilije, why would you ask me that?" Solenne asked, her voice shaky.
"Because we've had a report that you have and Verrater has chosen you to be Saint's assassin."
"No! That's not true! Well, part of it is. He did tell me I had to kill Declan, but I would never do that. I couldn't! You have to believe me. I never took his blood. To do that and sex would mean I'm his. Never! You have to believe me."
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